Can opener



F. F. HOSMER Jam, 28,. w36;

CAN OPENER Filed Dec. 3, 1934 Illllllll w @mi mun-n '"-i IlllilllllllllPatented Jan. 28, 12936 UNITED STATES tiene PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to a can opener and has for its principal object,the provision of a. relatively simple, practical and inexpensive devicethat may be utilized for the convenient and rapid opening Of cans.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a can opener havingmeans carried by a pair of pivotally connected jaws and handles forclamping the bead on the edge of a can, one of said jaws carrying apuncturing and cutting blade and the other jaw carrying means forrotating the can against the cutting blade so as to cut a smooth edgeddisc from the end of the can immediately adjacent the bead thereon andthereby cut a circular opening of the largest possible size in the endwall of the can.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a can opener of thecharacter referred to, having a crank handle and enmeshed pinions forconveniently imparting rotary motion to the toothed wheel that rotatesthe can during the cutting operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts thatwill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a can opener of my improvedconstruction.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the device taken looking in thedirection indicated by the arrow 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken on the line 5-5 ofFig. l.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view o1' the combined puncturing and cuttingblade utilized in my improved can opener.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates apreferred embodiment of my invention, I0' designates -a short sectiono-f strap metal, the rear end of which is bent into a horizontal planeto form a handle II and the forward end of the strap is bent outwardlyto form a jaw I2 that occupies a plane offset from and parallel withthat portion of the strap that connects said jaw and the handle II.

Member I0 is pivotally connected preferably by means of a rivet I3, tothe vertically disposed leg I4 of a combined jaw and handle and theupper portion of said leg is curved rearwardly so as to occupy aposition above the member I0 and the rear portion of this member is bentso as to occupy a substantially horizontal plane to form a handle I5that is positioned above and spaced apart from handle I.

The horizontally disposed leg IB of the L-shaped member which functionsas a jaw, occupies a position just below and to one side of the jawmember I2 and the strap from which the L-shaped member is formed isextended outwardly at right angles from the forward end of the jaw I6and thence rearwardly parallel with and spaced apart from said jaw It,as designated by I'I.

A shaft I8 has its ends journaled in the forward portions of members I6and I'l and mounted on said shaft and retained thereon by a set screw I9is a pinion 20.

Shaft I8 extends a short distance beyond member Il and suitably securedto the projecting end Ais one end of a crank handle 2|.

Journaled in the rear portions of members I6 and Il, is a shaft 22, theforward end of which projects a short distance beyond jaw member IB andmounted on this shaft and secured by a set screw 23 is a gear wheel 24that meshes with pinion 20.

The end of shaft 22 that projects through member I6 is threaded andscrew-seated upon this threaded end is a disc 25 having a notched orserrated periphery and interposed between said 25 disc and the memberI1, ls a washer 26.

The notched edge of disc 25 engages thev bead or flange that is formedbetween the side wall and end of a can.

Rigidly secured to the intermediate portion 30 of jaw I2 and in the samevertical plane with shaft 22, is one end of a stud 21 that occupies aposition directly above the end of shaft 22 that carries the tootheddisc 25 and mounted to rotate freely upon said shaft is a disc 28, thesize of 35 which is such that its periphery occupies a positionimmediately adjacent and spaced a slight distance apart from the pointsof the teeth on the periphery of disc 25. This disc 28 is retained 0nstud 21 by means of a washer 28 and a Cotter -f pin 3U that passesdiametrically through the stud.

The periphery of disc 28 is formed with portions of slightly differentdiameters, thereby providing a groove or offset on a portion of theperiphery of said disc and which arrangement accommodates bothupstanding and outwardly presented beads or flanges that are formed onthe edges of the can between the side wall and end walls.

Positioned between the inner face of jaw I2 and the adjacent face of thedisc 28, is a combined puncturing and cutting member comprising asubstantially rectangular body 3|, in the upper portion of which isformed a notch 32 for the accommodation of a stud 21.

Formed through the end portions of the body 5 member 3|, are threadedapertures 33 that receive the threaded ends of screws 34, which latterpass through apertures in the jaw member I2 and thus detachably securethe cutting member to said jaw.

Depending from the intermediate portion of the lower edge ofjplate 3l,Vis a blade 3@ having a beveled lower edge 35 tljiat is inclinedlengthwise and the lowermost portion of this beveled edge occupies aposition inst above the center of the shaft 22 that carries the notcheddisc 25, thus providing a point that is adapted to puncture the can uponwhich the opener is used and the sharp edge on the lower end of theblade 34 extends forwardly'and upwardly so as to cut through the thinsheet metal that forms the top Y short jaw on the forward end of theother handle, i a shaft journaled in the members forming the of the canthat is being opened.

In thefruse of my improved can opener, the

handles il and i5 are swung away from each c toothed wheel Ymounted ononel end of said shaft, arating the jaws i2 and E76 and the beaded edgeY of the can that is to be opened is positioned dii mentioned shaft, theteeth of which pinion mesh other onthe pivot formed by rivet I3, thusseprectly over the top of the toothed disc 25. 'l

jj The handles l and l5 are now brought toi glether by the pressure ofone hand so that the point 36 punctures the top of the can immediately Yadjacent the bead on the edge thereof and as the Y jaws are broughttogether, the bead will be firmly clamped between the disc 28 and theteeth on the edge of disc 25. i:

Crank handle 2l is now manipulated so as to rotate pinion 29 and rotarymotipn will thus be imparted to gear wheel Zi, shaft V22 and tootheddisc 25, with the result that the can will be slowly rotated with theengaged bead passing between the edge of disc 28 and the teeth of disc25, which teeth engage the bead so las to impart rotary motion tov thecan. l Y f l As the can isY thus rotated, the sharp beveled edge 35 ofthe blade produces a clean edged cut through the .top of the canimmediately adjacent the bead the edge thereof so Ythat when the can hasbeen completely rotated a clean edged disc of metal is cut from the topso that the con-1 tents ofjthe can"may be readily removed withoutencountering rough or jagged edges such as are produced by certain typesof manually operated canrlopeners'.Y i I prefer to detachably mount thetoothed disc ,.25 on the end kof shaft 22 so that said disc when hasbecome worn or unfit for service may be removed and replaced bycca newdisc, but if desired this disc may be permanently Vsecured toy the shaft22, either by being riveted thereon or keyed thereto. Y f Thecombinednpuncturing and cutting member may be readily removed from jawI2 by withdrawing screws 34 Vand this permits the edge of the cuttingmember to be resharpened or said member may be discarded and replaced bya new cutting member. Y W Y The disc or wheel 2S that clampsl the beadededge of the can against the toothed disc 25 provides a rolling befaringfon that portion of the bead that is directly engaged by the teeth ofsaid disc .25 and as a resijlt the rotation of the can when properlyengaged by the jaws of the can opener may be readily accomplished andfurther, such operation is conveniently accomplished through the use ofa crani handle and pinions of diiferent sizes for-imparting rotarymotion to the shaft 22 that carfr' sV toothed Wheel 25.

Thus it will be'seen that I have provided a can opener that isrelatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture andveryeffective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, formandconstruction of the various parts of my improved can opener may bemade and substituted forethose herein shown and described withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Agcan opener, comprising a pair of pivotally connected handles, adouble jaw on the forward end ofgone of said handles, said doublerjawcomprising spacedV parallel members, a relatively double jaw, a gearwheel mounted on said shaft, a

a second shaft journaled in the members forming the double jaw, apinioncarried by the second with the teeth of said gear wheel, a crankhandle secured to said second mentioned shaft, a stud seatedin the shortjaw, a rolleigjournaled on said stud and positioned above thetoothedwheel on the rst mentioned shaft and a pointed blade detachably securedto the shortjaw adjacent said stud within the point of said bladeoverlying the face of said toothed wheel.

2. A can opener, comprising a pair of pivotally i* vconnected handles, adouble jaw on the forward end of one of said handles, said double jawcomprising spaced parallel members, a relatively short jaw on theforward end of the other handle, a shaft ijournaled in the membersforming the double jaw, a gear wheel mounted on said shaft, a toothedwheel mounted on one end of said shaft, a second shaft journaled in themembers forming the double jaw, a pinion carried by the second mentionedshaft, the teeth of which pinion mesh with the teeth of said gear wheel,a crank handle secured to said'second mentioned shaft, a stud seated'inthe short body, a roller journaled on said stud and positioned above thetoothed wheel on the rst mentioned shaft, a plate detachably secured tothe inner face'of tine shortjaw, said plate having arnotch for thereeeption of the stud that is seated in said short body and a pointedblade depending from said plate with the point of said blade overlyingthe outer face of said toothed wheel.V Y; f Y

3. Acan opener, comprising a pair of pivotally connected handles, adouble jaw on the forward end of one of said handles, said doublejawcomprising spaced parallel members, a relatively short jaw on theforward end ofthe other handle, aV

Y the first mentioned shaft, the periphery of whichY rolleris formed atdifferent diameters to provide a groove for the accommodation of thebead or flange on the edge of the can to iwhich the opener is appliedand a pointed blade detachably secured to the short jaw adjacent saidstud with the point of said blade overlying the face of said toothedwheel.

FRANK F. HOSMER.

